# 2023 junior college football season

The 2023 junior college football season was the season of intercollegiate junior college football running from September to December 2023. The season ended with three national champions: two from the National Junior College Athletic Association's (NJCAA) Division I and Division III and one from the California Community College Athletic Association (3C2A).
The NJCAA Division I champion was Iowa Western who defeated East Mississippi 61–14 in the NJCAA National Football Championship. The NJCAA Division III champion was DuPage who defeated Rochester C&T 33–29 in the Red Grange Bowl. The 3C2A champion was Riverside City who defeated San Mateo 24–21 in the 3C2A State Championship.

## Conference changes and new programs
### Membership changes

| Team | Former conference | New conference |
| Antelope Valley | American Pacific (APL) | National Northern (NNL) |
| ASA Miami | D-III independent | School closed |
| Chaffey | National Central (NCL) | American Metro (AML) |
| Citrus | American Metro (AML) | National Central (NCL) |
| Compton | American Mountain (AML) | American Metro (AML) |
| Desert | American Mountain (AML) | American Metro (AML) |
| East Los Angeles | National Northern (NNL) | National Central (NCL) |
| El Camino | National Central (NCL) | National Northern (NNL) |
| Glendale (CA) | American Metro (AML) | American Pacific (APL) |
| Golden West | National Southern (NSL) | National Central (NCL) |
| Grossmont | American Mountain (AML) | National Southern (NSL) |
| Long Beach City | National Northern (NNL) | National Central (NCL) |
| Los Angeles Southwest | American Metro (AML) | American Pacific (APL) |
| Moorpark | American Pacific (APL) | National Northern (NNL) |
| Mt. San Jacinto | American Mountain (AML) | National Southern (NSL) |
| Orange Coast | American Metro (AML) | National Central (NCL) |
| Pasadena City | American Mountain (AML) | American Pacific (APL) |
| Riverside City | National Central (NCL) | National Southern (NSL) |
| San Bernardino Valley | National Southern (NSL) | National Central (NCL) |
| Santa Barbara City | American Pacific (APL) | National Northern (NNL) |
| Victor Valley | American Mountain (AML) | American Metro (AML) |

## Top 5 matchups

Rankings are based on the NJCAA Division I, NJCAA Division III, and 3C2A polls.

### Regular season

* Week 2
** No. 1 (D3) DuPage defeated No. 4 (D3) Rochester C&T, 24–21 (Rochester Regional Stadium and Bubble, Rochester, Minnesota)
* Week 3
** No. 1 (D1) Hutchinson defeated No. 5 (D1) Iowa Central, 27–2 (Dodger Stadium, Fort Dodge, Iowa)
** No. 2 (D3) NDSCS defeated No. 3 (D3) Minnesota State C&T, 30–14 (Fergus Falls, Minnesota)
* Week 4
** No. 1 (D3) DuPage defeated No. 2 (D3) NDSCS, 38–31 (Frank Vertin Field, Wahpeton, North Dakota)
** No. 3 (D3) Rochester C&T defeated No. 5t (D3) Mesabi Range, 37–21 (Virginia, Minnesota)
** No. 1 (3C2A) San Mateo defeated No. 5 (3C2A) American River, 24–23 (College Heights Stadium, San Mateo, California)
* Week 5
** No. 2 (D1) Iowa Western defeated No. 1 (D3) DuPage, 41–14 (Bob MacDougall Field, Glen Ellyn, Illinois)
* Week 7
** No. 2 (D1) Iowa Western defeated No. 5 (D1) Snow, 20–13 (Terry Foote Stadium, Ephraim, Utah)
** No. 4 (D3) Rochester C&T defeated No. 2 (D3) NDSCS, 28–27 (Frank Vertin Field, Wahpeton, North Dakota)
* Week 8
** No. 3 (D3) NDSCS defeated No. 4 (D3) Mesabi Range, 14–7 (Frank Vertin Field, Wahpeton, North Dakota)
* Week 9
** No. 3 (D1) Kilgore defeated No. 4 (D1) Trinity Valley, 37–17 (R. E. St. John Memorial Stadium, Kilgore, Texas)
* Week 10
** No. 5 (3C2A) San Mateo defeated No. 1 (3C2A) CC of San Francisco, 44–17 (College Heights Stadium, San Mateo, California)
** No. 4 (3C2A) Fullerton defeated No. 2 (3C2A) Riverside City, 17–16 (Wheelock Stadium, Riverside, California)
* Week 12
** No. 1 (D1) Hutchinson defeated No. 2 (D1) Iowa Western, 42–28 (Gowans Stadium, Hutchinson, Kansas)

### Conference playoffs

* MCAC playoffs
** No. 3 (D3) NDSCS defeated No. 4 (D3) Mesabi Range, 21–17 (Frank Vertin Field, Wahpeton, North Dakota)
** No. 2 (D3) Rochester C&T defeated No. 3 (D3) NDSCS, 24–16 (Husky Stadium, St. Cloud, Minnesota)

### Post season

* NJCAA Division I Semifinal
** No. 4 (D1) East Mississippi defeated No. 1 (D1) Hutchinson, 27–23 (Gowans Stadium, Hutchinson, Kansas)
** No. 2 (D1) Iowa Western defeated No. 3 (D1) Kilgore, 47–7, (Titan Stadium, Council Bluffs, Iowa)
* NJCAA Division I Championship
** No. 2 (D1) Iowa Western defeated No. 4 (D1) East Mississippi, 61–14, (War Memorial Stadium, Little Rock, Arkansas)
* Red Grange Bowl (NJCAA Division III Championship)
** No. 1 (D3) DuPage defeated No. 2 (D3) Rochester C&T, 33–29 (Bob MacDougall Field, Glen Ellyn, Illinois)
* NCFC playoffs
** No. 4 (3C2A) American River defeated No. 5 (3C2A) CC of San Francisco, 41–6 (Beaver Stadium, Sacramento, California)
** No. 3 (3C2A) San Mateo defeated No. 4 (3C2A) American River, 30–27 (College Station Stadium, San Mateo, California)

## NJCAA Division III team wins over NJCAA Division I teams

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result |
| August 24 | 7:00 p.m. | No. 1 DuPage | (D1) Ellsworth | Cadet Football Field • Iowa Falls, Iowa | 17–10 |
| November 4 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 11 (D1) Georgia Military | No. 1 DuPage | Bob MacDougall Field • Glen Ellyn, Illinois | 37–21 |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. |||||||||

## Upsets

This section lists instances of unranked teams defeating NJCAA Division I, NJCAA Division III, and 3C2A-ranked teams during the season.

### Regular season

* Week 1
** Highland (KS) 20, No. 7 (D1) Coffeyville, 14
* Week 2
** Monroe College 31, No. 5 (D3) Nassau 13
** Contra Costa 45, No. 23 (3C2A) Feather River 14
** Bakersfield 29, No. 21 (3C2A) Long Beach City 27
* Week 3
** Copiah–Lincoln 23, No. 8 (D1) East Mississippi
** Tyler 52, No. 13 (D1) Georgia Military
** Mississippi Gulf Coast 49, No. 3 (D1) Northwest Mississippi 14
** College of the Canyons 17, No. 21 (3C2A) Palomar 7
* Week 4
** Georgia Military 17, No. 9 (D1) Lackawanna 9
** Nassau 13, No. 5t (D3) Hudson Valley 6
* Week 5
** Highland (KS) 3, No. 14 (D1) Garden City 0
** Navarro 24, No. 3 (D1) Kilgore
** Allan Hancock 17, No. 25 (3C2A) Moorpark 10
* Week 6
** Minnesota State C&T 32, No. 3 (D3) Rochester C&T 29
** Fresno City 31, No. 16 (3C2A) College of the Sequoias 28
** Allan Hancock 21, No. 19 (3C2A) Bakersfield 13
* Week 7
** New Mexico Military 31, No. 6 (D1) Tyler 17
** Mesabi Range 34, No. 3 (D3) Minnesota State C&T 28
* Week 8
** East Central (MS) 28, No. 9 (D1) Northeast Mississippi
** Copiah–Lincoln 28, No. 4 (D1) Mississippi Gulf Coast 23
** Cisco 21, No. 14 (D1) New Mexico Military 10
** Sacramento City 34, No. 22 (3C2A) Contra Costa 7
* Week 10
** Mississippi Delta 36, No. 4 (D1) Jones 33
** Coffeyville 15, No. 13 (D1) Butler (KS) 7
** Santa Rosa 17, No. 19 (3C2A) Sierra 14
** Mt. San Jacinto 16, No. 20 (3C2A) Saddleback 13
* Week 11
** Navarro 34, No. 12 (D1) Tyler 24
** Nassau 24, No. 5 (D3) Louisburg 21
* Week 12
** Georgia Military 31, No. 11 (D1) Lackawanna 24

### Postseason

* MCAC playoffs
** Central Lakes 26, No. 5 (D3) Minnesota State C&T 12
* Bowl games
** Contra Costa 21, No. 15 (3C2A) Fresno City 14 (Gridiron Classic Bowl)

## Conference standings
### NJCAA Division I

2023 Iowa Community College Athletic Conference football standings :
| 2023 Iowa Community College Athletic Conference football standings vteConf.Overall Team W L W L  No. 1 Iowa Western $^  2 –0  12 –1   No. 7 Iowa Central  1 –1  7 –4   Ellsworth  0 –2  2 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NJCAA Division I playoff participantRankings from NJCAA Division I poll | 2023 Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference football standings vteConf.Overall Team W L W L  No. 3 Hutchinson $^  6 –0  10 –1   No. 6 Dodge City  5 –1  8 –3   No. 15 Highland (KS)  3 –3  6 –5   Garden City  3 –3  5 –6   Butler (KS)  2 –4  5 –5   Coffeyville  1 –5  3 –7   Independence  1 –5  2 –8   $ – Conference champion^ – NJCAA Division I playoff participantRankings from NJCAA Division I poll | 2023 Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference football standings vteConf.Overall Team W L W L  North Division No. 2 East Mississippi #x$^  6 –0  10 –3   No. 13 Northwest Mississippi #  5 –1  7 –3   Northeast Mississippi  4 –2  6 –3   Holmes  3 –3  6 –3   Itawamba  2 –4  3 –6   Mississippi Delta  1 –5  2 –7   Coahoma  0 –6  1 –8   South Division No. 4 Copiah–Lincoln #x  5 –1  10 –2   No. 8 Mississippi Gulf Coast #x  5 –1  8 –2   Jones (MS) x  5 –1  6 –3   Hinds  3 –3  3 –6   East Central (MS)  2 –4  4 –5   Pearl River  1 –5  1 –8   Southwest Mississippi  0 –6  1 –8   Championship: East Mississippi 27, Copiah–Lincoln 20 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-champions^ – NJCAA Division I playoff participant # – MACJC playoff participantRankings from NJCAA Division I poll |
| 2023 Northeast Football Conference standings vteConf.Overall Team W L W L  No. 14 Lackawanna $  2 –0  7 –3   Monroe  0 –2  6 –5   $ – Conference championRankings from NJCAA Division I poll | 2023 Southwest Junior College Football Conference standings vteConf.Overall Team W L W L  No. 5 Kilgore $^  7 –1  9 –2   No. 10 Trinity Valley  5 –2  7 –3   No. 12 Navarro  5 –3  6 –5   Tyler  4 –3  5 –4   New Mexico Military  4 –3  6 –6   Cisco  3 –4  4 –4   Blinn  1 –6  3 –6   Northeastern Oklahoma A&M  0 –7  0 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NJCAA Division I playoff participantRankings from NJCAA Division I poll | 2023 NJCAA Division I independents football records vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Sussex County   –  8 –2 –0 No. 9 Snow   –  9 –3 –0 No. 11 Georgia Military   –  7 –4 –0 Community Christian (MI)   –  0 –6 –2 Community Christian (CA)   –  0 –3 –0 Rankings from NJCAA Division I poll |

### NJCAA Division III

2023 Minnesota College Athletic Conference football standings :
| 2023 Minnesota College Athletic Conference football standings vteConf.Overall Team W L W L  No. 2 Rochester C&T y$^  5 –1  8 –3   No. 3 NDSCS y  4 –1  8 –3   No. 4 Mesabi Range  4 –2  5 –4   Minnesota State C&T  4 –2  4 –4   Central Lakes  3 –4  4 –6   Vermilion  1 –5  1 –6   Minnesota West C&T  0 –6  0 –7   Championship: Rochester C&T 24, NDSCS 16 $ – Conference championy – Championship game participant^ – Red Grange Bowl participantRankings from NJCAA Division III poll | 2023 NJCAA Division III independents football records vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 1 DuPage ^   –  11 –1 –0 No. 5 Louisburg   –  5 –4 –0 Hudson Valley   –  5 –5 –0 Nassau   –  5 –5 –0 Erie   –  3 –7 –0 Hocking   –  0 –9 –2 ^ – Red Grange Bowl participateRankings from NJCAA Division III poll |

### 3C2A
#### SCFA

2023 American Metro League standings :
| 2023 American Metro League standings vteConf.Overall Team W L W L  No. 23 Chaffey $  5 –0  11 –0   Santa Ana  4 –1  9 –2   Desert  3 –2  6 –5   West Los Angeles  2 –3  2 –8   Victor Valley  1 –4  1 –9   Compton  0 –5  0 –10   $ – Conference championRankings from 3C2A poll | 2023 American Pacific League standings vteConf.Overall Team W L W L  Pasadena City $  5 –0  9 –2   Glendale (CA)  3 –2  6 –4   Los Angeles Southwest  3 –2  6 –4   Santa Monica  3 –2  5 –5   Los Angeles Valley  1 –4  4 –6   Pierce  0 –5  3 –7   $ – Conference champion | 2023 National Central League standings vteConf.Overall Team W L W L  No. 4 Mt. San Antonio $^  7 –0  10 –1   No. 9 Golden West  6 –1  8 –3   No. 11 Citrus  4 –3  8 –3   No. 15 East Los Angeles  4 –3  7 –4   No. 21 Cerritos  3 –4  5 –5   Long Beach City  3 –4  4 –6   Orange Coast  1 –6  1 –9   San Bernardino Valley  0 –7  1 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – 3C2A playoff participantRankings from 3C2A poll |
| 2023 National Northern League standings vteConf.Overall Team W L W L  No. 6 Ventura +^  6 –1  8 –4   No. 13 Allan Hancock +  6 –1  7 –4   No. 18 College of the Canyons  5 –2  6 –5   No. 12 El Camino  4 –3  7 –4   No. 20 Bakersfield  4 –3  6 –5   Santa Barbara City  2 –5  4 –6   Moorpark  1 –6  3 –7   Antelope Valley  0 –7  1 –9   + – Conference co-champions^ – 3C2A playoff participantRankings from 3C2A poll | 2023 National Southern League standings vteConf.Overall Team W L W L  No. 5 Fullerton $^  7 –0  10 –1   No. 1 Riverside City ^  6 –1  12 –1   No. 14 San Diego Mesa  4 –3  7 –4   No. 25 Saddleback  4 –3  5 –5   Mt. San Jacinto  4 –3  4 –6   Palomar  2 –5  3 –7   Southwestern (CA)  1 –6  1 –9   Grossmont  0 –7  0 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – 3C2A playoff participantRankings from 3C2A poll |

#### NCFC

2023 American Golden Coast League standings :
| 2023 American Golden Coast League standings vteConf.Overall Team W L W L  Monterey Peninsula $  6 –0  8 –3   San Jose City  5 –1  8 –2   Hartnell  3 –3  7 –4   Cabrillo  3 –3  6 –4   West Hills Coalinga  2 –4  5 –5   Merced  2 –4  3 –7   Gavilan  0 –6  0 –10   $ – Conference champion | 2023 American Pacific 7 League standings vteConf.Overall Team W L W L  No. 22 Foothill $  5 –0  11 –0   College of the Redwoods  4 –1  9 –2   Los Medanos  3 –2  5 –5   De Anza  1 –4  2 –8   College of the Siskiyous  1 –4  2 –8   Yuba  1 –4  1 –9   $ – Conference championRankings from 3C2A poll | 2023 National Bay 6 League standings vteConf.Overall Team W L W L  No. 2 San Mateo $^  5 –0  11 –2   No. 7 CC of San Francisco ^  4 –1  9 –2   Laney  3 –2  4 –6   San Joaquin Delta  2 –3  3 –7   Diablo Valley  1 –4  2 –8   Chabot  0 –5  0 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – 3C2A playoff participantRankings from 3C2A poll |
| 2023 National Norcal League standings vteConf.Overall Team W L W L  No. 3 American River $^  5 –0  10 –2   No. 8 Butte  4 –1  9 –2   No. 24 Sierra  2 –3  5 –6   Feather River  2 –3  3 –7   Santa Rosa  2 –3  3 –7   Shasta  0 –5  1 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – 3C2A playoff participantRankings from 3C2A poll | 2023 National Valley League standings vteConf.Overall Team W L W L  No. 10 Modesto $^  5 –0  7 –4   No. 17 Fresno City  4 –1  6 –5   No. 16 Reedley  3 –2  7 –4   No. 19 College of the Sequoias  2 –3  6 –5   Sacramento City  1 –4  4 –6   Contra Costa  0 –5  6 –5   $ – Conference champion^ – 3C2A playoff participantRankings from 3C2A poll |

## Rankings
### Pre-season polls

NJCAA Division I :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | Iowa Western |
| 2 | Hutchinson |
| 3 | Northwest Mississippi |
| 4 | Snow |
| 5 | Kilgore |
| 6 | Jones (MS) |
| 7 | Coffeyville |
| 8 | East Mississippi |
| 9 | Garden City |
| 10 | Iowa Central |
| 11 | Navarro |
| 12 | Butler (KS) |
| 13 | Georgia Military |
| 14 | Lackawanna |
| 15 | Trinity Valley |
NJCAA Division III :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | DuPage |
| 2 | NDSCS |
| 3 | Minnesota State C&T |
| 4t | Nassau |
| 4t | Hocking |
| 5 | Rochester C&T |
3C2A :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | San Mateo (8) |
| 2 | Riverside City |
| 3 | Mt. San Antonio |
| 4 | Fullerton |
| 5 | American River |
| 6 | Golden West |
| 7 | CC of San Francisco (1) |
| 8 | Ventura |
| 9 | Butte |
| 10 | Laney |
| 11 | Cerritos |
| 12 | Fresno City |
| 13 | Modesto |
| 14 | Sierra |
| 15 | College of the Canyons |
| 16 | El Camino |
| 17t | Allan Hancock |
| 17t | San Diego Mesa |
| 19 | Diablo Valley |
| 20 | Long Beach City |
| 21 | College of the Sequoias |
| 22 | Feather River |
| 23 | Citrus |
| 24 | East Los Angeles |
| 25 | Santa Rosa |

### 3C2A final regular season rankings

| Rank | Team | W–L | Conference and standing | Bowl game |
| 1 | Fullerton Hornets | 10–0 | National Southern League champions | SCFA semifinal |
| 2 | Mt. San Antonio Mounties | 10–0 | National Central League champions | SCFA semifinal |
| 3 | San Mateo Bulldogs | 9–1 | National Bay 6 League champions | NCFC semifinal |
| 4 | American River Beavers | 9–1 | National Norcal League champions | NCFC semifinal |
| 5 | CC of San Francisco Rams | 9–1 | National Bay 6 League second place | NCFC semifinal |
| 6 | Riverside City Tigers | 9–1 | National Southern League second place | SCFA semifinal |
| 7 | Butte Roadrunners | 8–2 | National Norcal League second place | Northern California Bowl |
| 8 | Golden West Rustlers | 8–2 | National Central League second place | Beach Bowl |
| 9 | Modesto Pirates | 7–3 | National Valley League champion | NCFC semifinal |
| 10 | Allan Hancock Bulldogs | 7–3 | National Northern League champion (tie) | Strawberry Bowl |
| 11 | Ventura Pirates | 7–3 | National Northern League champion (tie) | SCFA semifinal |
| 12 | Citrus Owls | 7–3 | National Central League third place (tie) | Western State Bowl |
| 13 | College of the Canyons Cougars | 6–4 | National Northern League third place | Western State Bowl |
| 14 | Reedley Tigers | 7–3 | National Valley League third place | Northern California Bowl |
| 15 | Fresno City Rams | 6–4 | National Valley League second place | Gridiron Classic Bowl |
| 16 | Bakersfield Renegades | 6–4 | National Northern League fourth place (tie) | Patriotic Bowl |
| 17 | El Camino Warriors | 6–4 | National Northern League fourth place (tie) | Beach Bowl |
| 18 | San Diego Mesa Olympians | 6–4 | National Southern League third place (tie) | Strawberry Bowl |
| 19 | East Los Angeles Huskies | 6–4 | National Central League third place (tie) | Patriotic Bowl |
| 20 | Cerritos Falcons | 5–5 | National Central League fifth place (tie) | None |
| 21 | Sierra Wolverines | 5–5 | National Norcal League third place (tie) | Golden State Bowl |
| 22 | Foothill Owls | 9–0 | American Pacific 7 League champion | American Division Bowl |
| 23 | Chaffey Panthers | 10–0 | American Metro League champions | American Division Championship Bowl |
| 24 | College of the Sequoias Giants | 5–5 | National Valley League fourth place | Golden State Bowl |
| 25 | Saddleback Bobcats | 5–5 | National Southern League third place (tie) | None |

### Final rankings

NJCAA Division I :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | Iowa Western |
| 2 | East Mississippi |
| 3 | Hutchinson |
| 4 | Copiah–Lincoln |
| 5 | Kilgore |
| 6 | Dodge City |
| 7 | Iowa Central |
| 8 | Mississippi Gulf Coast |
| 9 | Snow |
| 10 | Trinity Valley |
| 11 | Georgia Military |
| 12 | Navarro |
| 13 | Northwest Mississippi |
| 14 | Lackawanna |
| 15 | Highland (KS) |
NJCAA Division III :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | DuPage |
| 2 | Rochester C&T |
| 3 | NDSCS |
| 4 | Mesabi Range |
| 5 | Louisburg |
3C2A :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | Riverside City (11) |
| 2 | San Mateo |
| 3 | American River |
| 4 | Mt. San Antonio |
| 5 | Fullerton |
| 6 | Ventura |
| 7 | CC of San Francisco |
| 8 | Butte |
| 9 | Golden West |
| 10 | Modesto |
| 11 | Citrus |
| 12 | El Camino |
| 13 | Allan Hancock |
| 14 | San Diego Mesa |
| 15 | East Los Angeles |
| 16 | Reedley |
| 17 | College of the Canyons |
| 19 | College of the Sequoias |
| 20 | Bakersfield |
| 21 | Cerritos |
| 22 | Foothill |
| 23 | Chaffey |
| 24 | Sierra |
| 25 | Saddleback |

## Postseason
### Playoffs
#### NJCAA Division I

| Semifinals December 2/3 Campus sites | Semifinals December 2/3 Campus sites | Semifinals December 2/3 Campus sites | Championship game December 13 War Memorial Stadium—Little Rock, AR | Championship game December 13 War Memorial Stadium—Little Rock, AR | Championship game December 13 War Memorial Stadium—Little Rock, AR |
| 1 | Hutchinson | 23 | | | |
| 4 | East Mississippi | 27 | | | |
| 4 | East Mississippi | 27 | 4 | East Mississippi | 14 |
| | | | 2 | Iowa Western | 61 |
| 3 | Kilgore | 7 | 2 | Iowa Western | 61 |
| 2 | Iowa Western | 47 | | | |

#### 3C2A
##### SCFA playoffs

| Semifinals November 25 Campus sites | Semifinals November 25 Campus sites | Semifinals November 25 Campus sites | Regional finals December 2 Campus sites | Regional finals December 2 Campus sites | Regional finals December 2 Campus sites |
| 1 | Mt. San Antonio | 48 | | | |
| 4 | Riverside City | 51 | | | |
| 4 | Riverside City | 51 | 3 | Ventura | 26 |
| | | | 4 | Riverside City | 45 |
| 2 | Fullerton | 24 | 4 | Riverside City | 45 |
| 3 | Ventura | 27 | | | |

##### NCFC playoffs

| Semifinals November 25 Campus sites | Semifinals November 25 Campus sites | Semifinals November 25 Campus sites | Regional finals December 2 Campus sites | Regional finals December 2 Campus sites | Regional finals December 2 Campus sites |
| 1 | San Mateo | 41 | | | |
| 4 | Modesto | 19 | | | |
| 4 | Modesto | 19 | 1 | San Mateo | 30 |
| | | | 2 | American River | 27 |
| 2 | American River | 41 | 2 | American River | 27 |
| 3 | CC of San Francisco | 6 | | | |

##### State Championship

| 3C2A State Championship December 9 Wheelock Stadium—Riverside, CA | 3C2A State Championship December 9 Wheelock Stadium—Riverside, CA | 3C2A State Championship December 9 Wheelock Stadium—Riverside, CA |
| 1 | San Mateo | 21 |
| 4 | Riverside City | 24 |

### Bowl games

The NJCAA Division I and 3C2A had fourteen bowl games combined, featuring teams that did not qualify for their respective leagues' postseason tournament.
| Date | Time (EST) | Game | Site | Teams | Results |
| Nov 19 | 4:00 p.m. | Southern California Bowl | Campus sites | Santa Ana (8–2) Desert (6–4) | Santa Ana 56 Desert 48 |
| Nov 20 | 12:30 p.m. | Beach Bowl | Campus sites | El Camino (6–4) Golden West (8–2) | El Camino 22 Golden West 19 |
| Nov 21 | 5:00 p.m. | Strawberry Bowl | Campus sites | San Diego Mesa (6–4) Allan Hancock (7–3) | San Diego Mesa 42 Allan Hancock 20 |
| Nov 25 | 2:00 p.m. | Gridiron Classic Bowl | Campus sites | Contra Costa (5–5) Fresno City (6–4) | Contra Costa 21 Fresno City 14 |
| Nov 25 | 2:00 p.m. | Patriotic Bowl | Campus sites | East Los Angeles (6–4) Bakersfield (6–4) | East Los Angeles 31 Bakersfield 27 |
| Nov 25 | 4:00 p.m. | Western State Bowl | Campus sites | Citrus (7–3) College of the Canyons (6–4) | Citrus 42 College of the Canyons 13 |
| Nov 25 | 5:00 p.m. | American Division Championship Bowl | Campus sites | Chaffey (10–0) Pasadena City (9–1) | Chaffey 16 Pasadena City 12 |
| Dec 1 | 5:00 p.m. | Golden State Bowl | Campus sites | College of the Sequoias (5–5) Sierra (5–5) | College of the Sequoias 31 Sierra 28 |
| Dec 1 | 6:00 p.m. | Wool Bowl | Campus sites | Dodge City (7–3) New Mexico Military (6–5) | Dodge City 37 New Mexico Military 6 |
| Dec 2 | 12:00 p.m. | Northern California Bowl | Campus sites | Butte (8–2) Reedley (7–3) | Butte 30 Reedley 24 |
| Dec 2 | 12:00 p.m. | C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl | Memorial Stadium (Commerce, Texas) | Copiah–Lincoln (9–2) Navarro (6–4) | Copiah–Lincoln 28 Navarro 20 |
| Dec 2 | 2:00 p.m. | American Division Bowl | Campus sites | Foothill (10–0) Monterey Peninsula (8–2) | Foothill 35 Monterey Peninsula 22 |
| Dec 2 | 2:00 p.m. | Grizzly Bowl | Campus sites | College of the Redwoods (8–2) Hartnell (7–3) | College of the Redwoods 63 Hartnell 0 |
| Dec 3 | 1:00 p.m. | Game One Bowl | UNI-Dome (Cedar Falls, Iowa) | Iowa Central (6–4) Snow (9–2) | Iowa Central 44 Snow 9 |

## Awards and honors
### Individual honors

NJCAA Division I honors :
| Award | Name | Team |
| Coach of the Year | Scott Strohmeier | Iowa Western |
| Offensive Player of the Year | Ty Keyes, QB | East Mississippi |
| Defensive Player of the Year | Daniel Brown, DL | Hutchinson |
NJCAA Division III honors :
| Award | Name | Team |
| Coach of the Year | Terrence Isaac | Rochester C&T |
| Offensive Player of the Year | Jaden McGill, RB | DuPage |
| Defensive Player of the Year | Martell Williams, LB | Rochester C&T |
3C2A honors :
| Region | Award | Name | Team |
| Overall | Coach of the Year | Tom Craft | Riverside City |
| I | Coach of the Year | Tim Tulloch | San Mateo |
| II | Coach of the Year | Matt Ravio | Foothill |
| III | Coach of the Year | Tom Craft | Riverside City |
| IV | Coach of the Year | Darrin Chiaverini | Chaffey |
| Overall | Offensive Player of the Year | Jordan Barton, QB | Riverside City |
| I | Offensive Player of the Year | Anthony Grigsby, QB | San Mateo |
| II | Offensive Player of the Year | Hingano Hautau, OL | Foothill |
| III | Offensive Player of the Year | Jordan Barton, QB | Riverside City |
| IV | Offensive Player of the Year | Dereun Dortch, QB | Chaffey |
| Overall | Defensive Player of the Year | Josh Tremain, DL | American River |
| I | Defensive Player of the Year | Josh Tremain, DL | American River |
| II | Defensive Player of the Year | Samari Russo, DL | Merced |
| III | Defensive Player of the Year | Marquis Brown, DB; Brandon Tita-Nwu, LB | Golden West; Fullerton |
| IV | Defensive Player of the Year | Zamir Richardson, DL | Santa Ana |

### All-Americans
#### 2023 All-NJCAA Division I Team

| Position | Name | Height | Weight (lbs.) | Class | Hometown | Team |
| QB | Ty Keyes | 6'2" | 225 | So. | Taylorsville, Mississippi | East Mississippi |
| RB | Terrez Worthy | 5'11" | 170 | Fr. | Salisbury, Maryland | Lackawanna |
| RB | Johnnie Daniels | 5'10" | 200 | So. | Crystal Springs, Mississippi | Copiah–Lincoln |
| WR | Deion Smith | 6'4" | 190 | So. | Jackson, Mississippi | Holmes |
| WR | Mario Sanders II | 5'10" | 190 | Fr. | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Iowa Central |
| TE | Greg Genross | 6'6" | 235 | So. | New York City, New York | Dodge City |
| OL | Seth Wilfred | 6'5" | 329 | Fr. | Las Vegas, Nevada | Snow |
| OL | Alex Fox | 6'3" | 300 | So. | New Castle, Pennsylvania | Lackawanna |
| OL | Que McBroom | 6'5" | 325 | So. | St. Louis, Missouri | NE Oklahoma A&M |
| OL | Issiah Walker | 6'5" | 300 | So. | Miami, Florida | Butler (KS) |
| OL | Jonathan Young | 6'5" | 286 | So. | Orland Park, Illinois | Iowa Central |
| PK | Gabriel Showalter | 5'10" | 175 | So. | St. Martin, Mississippi | Mississippi Gulf Coast |
| Position | Name | Height | Weight (lbs.) | Class | Hometown | Team |
| LB | Travion Barnes | 6'0" | 224 | So. | Altamonte Springs, Florida | Georgia Military |
| LB | Keaton Thomas | 6'2" | 224 | Fr. | Jacksonville, Florida | Northeast Mississippi |
| LB | Bryan Cuthbertson | 6'1" | 245 | Fr. | Sherwood, Oregon | Snow |
| DL | Daniel Brown | 6'1" | 250 | So. | Kansas City, Kansas | Hutchinson |
| DL | Billy Pullen | 6'3" | 245 | So. | Kaufman, Texas | Copiah–Lincoln |
| DL | Clev Lubin | 6'3" | 245 | Fr. | Suffern, New York | Iowa Western |
| DL | Jaylen Pettus | 6'3" | 235 | So. | Des Moines, Iowa | Iowa Western |
| DB | Ryan Nolan | 5'10" | 181 | Fr. | Gainesville, Florida | Hutchinson |
| DB | Joshua Pierre-Louis | 6'0" | 173 | So. | Palm Beach Gardens, Florida | Iowa Western |
| DB | Isaiah Crosby | 5'10" | 180 | So. | Manor, Texas | Trinity Valley |
| DB | Anthony Pinnace | 6'0" | 170 | Fr. | Ann Arbor, Michigan | Independence |
| RS | Tre Richardson | 5'10" | 175 | Fr. | Topeka, Kansas | Hutchinson |
| P | James Allen | 6'3" | 190 | So. | Australia | Trinity Valley |

#### 2023 All-NJCAA Division III Team

| Position | Name | Height | Weight (lbs.) | Class | Hometown | Team |
| QB | Peyton O'Laughlin | 6'0" | 200 | So. | Lake Geneva, Wisconsin | DuPage |
| RB | Jaden McGill | 6'0" | 205 | So. | Chicago, Illinois | DuPage |
| RB | Roosevelt Cage | 6'0" | 215 | So. | Burnsville, Minnesota | NDSCS |
| WR | Trevion Carothers | 5'8" | 160 | Fr. | Racine, Wisconsin | NDSCS |
| WR | Rayshion Bien-Aise | 6'2" | 175 | So. | Deerpark, New York | Nassau |
| WR | Terrence Isaac Jr. | 6'1" | 185 | So. | DeSoto, Texas | Rochester C&T |
| OL | Gavin Layton | 6'6" | 290 | So. | Andover, Minnesota | Rochester C&T |
| OL | Alejandro Arellano | 6'3" | 305 | Fr. | Sterling, Illinois | DuPage |
| OL | Damaurius Stewart | 6'3" | 310 | So. | South Holland, Illinois | DuPage |
| OL | Dawson Hageman | 6'2" | 275 | So. | Grand Forks, North Dakota | NDSCS |
| OL | Ethan Bonacchi | 6'6" | 295 | So. | Levittown, New York | Nassau |
| PK | Christian Casillas | 6'0" | 205 | Fr. | Alsip, Illinois | DuPage |
| Position | Name | Height | Weight (lbs.) | Class | Hometown | Team |
| LB | Shamarr Joppy | 6'1" | 202 | So. | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania | Hudson Valley |
| LB | Martell Williams | 5'11" | 235 | So. | Hillside, Illinois | Rochester C&T |
| LB | Kellon King | 6'1" | 235 | Fr. | Palatine, Illinois | DuPage |
| DL | Jason Gwan | 6'2" | 260 | Fr. | Buffalo, New York | Erie |
| DL | Teyel Lowe | 6'4" | 260 | So. | Worthington, Minnesota | Minnesota West C&T |
| DL | Seth Thomas | 5'9" | 270 | So. | Mattawan, Michigan | Rochester C&T |
| DL | Bobby Anderson | 6'4" | 240 | So. | Bolingbrook, Illinois | DuPage |
| DB | Brandon Perry | 6'1" | 192 | Fr. | Charlotte, North Carolina | Louisburg |
| DB | Riley Dravet | 5'11" | 190 | So. | Winfield, Illinois | DuPage |
| DB | Guy Goss | 5'11" | 173 | So. | Hinsdale, Illinois | DuPage |
| DB | Alex Briggs | | | So. | | Vermilion |
| RS | Quonterrion Brooks | 6'0" | 195 | Fr. | Rock Island, Illinois | Minnesota West C&T |
| P | Thomas Dellaporta | 6'3" | 225 | So. | East Setauket, New York | Nassau |

#### 2023 All-California Community College Team

| Position | Name | Height | Weight (lbs.) | Class | Hometown | Team |
| QB | Jordan Barton | 6'0" | 185 | So. | La Verne, California | Riverside City |
| RB | Christian Vaughn | 5'10" | 215 | So. | Las Vegas, Nevada | Butte |
| RB | Nicholas Floyd | 5'11" | 200 | So. | Riverside, California | Mt. San Antonio |
| WR | Robert Freeman IV | 5'8" | 185 | So. | El Cerrito, California | American River |
| WR | Noah Cronquist | 5'11" | 195 | So. | Moorpark, California | Moorpark |
| WR | Demari Davis | 6'1" | 175 | So. | San Pablo, California | Contra Costa |
| TE | Ryan Boultwood | 6'5" | 235 | Fr. | Upland, California | Mt. San Antonio |
| OL | Jakob Lemus | 6'5" | 300 | So. | Oxnard, California | Ventura |
| OL | Ryan Cheeseman | 6'3" | 290 | So. | Elk Grove, California | American River |
| OL | Daylon Metoyer | 6'4" | 315 | So. | Hesperia, California | Mt. San Antonio |
| OL | Tyler McMahan | 6'6" | 295 | So. | Sutter Creek, California | Modesto |
| OL | Leo Togia | 6'4" | 240 | So. | Nuʻuuli, American Samoa | Allan Hancock |
| OL | Hingano Hautau | 6'6" | 325 | So. | San Jose, California | Foothill |
| All-Purpose | Bryce Strong | 5'10" | 170 | So. | Ontario, California | Riverside City |
| Utility | Anthony Grigsby Jr. | 5'11" | 190 | Fr. | Stockton, California | San Mateo |
| PK | Caleb Ojeda | 5'11" | 180 | So. | Morgan Hill, California | San Mateo |
| Position | Name | Height | Weight (lbs.) | Class | Hometown | Team |
| LB | Josh Tremain | 6'1" | 225 | So. | Folsom, California | American River |
| LB | Brandon Tita-Nwa | 6'0" | 200 | So. | Memphis, Tennessee | Fullerton |
| LB | Aiden Sullivan | 6'2" | 215 | So. | Twentynine Palms, California | Butte |
| LB | Katin Surprenant | 6'3" | 240 | So. | Upland, California | Mt. San Antonio |
| DL | Gabe Foster | 6'1" | 225 | So. | Gardnerville, Nevada | Butte |
| DL | James Gillespie | 6'3" | 300 | So. | Woodbridge, Virginia | Ventura |
| DL | Rhett Sarvela | 6'3" | 245 | So. | Vancouver, Washington | College of the Sequoias |
| DL | Carl Nesmith | 6'5" | 240 | So. | Jacksonville, Florida | Fullerton |
| DL | Zamir Richardson | 6'3" | 215 | Fr. | Placentia, California | Santa Ana |
| DB | Marquis Brown | 6'4" | 200 | So. | Huntington Beach, California | Golden West |
| DB | Ja'ir Smith | 6'1" | 190 | So. | Charlotte, North Carolina | San Mateo |
| DB | Zedekiah Rodriguez-Brown | 5'11" | 185 | So. | La Puente, California | Cerritos |
| DB | Kevin Washington Jr. | 6'1" | 205 | So. | Miami, Florida | Fresno City |
| Utility | Jeremiah Henry | 6'3" | 280 | So. | Oviedo, Florida | Laney |
| KR | Jonah Marcaida | 5'10" | 185 | So. | Reno, Nevada | Butte |
| PR | Jordin Young | 5'10" | 170 | Fr. | | San Diego Mesa |
| P | Jeremy Ramirez | 6'1" | 220 | Fr. | Rancho Cucamonga, California | Mt. San Antonio |

## Coaching changes

This list includes all head coaching changes announced during or after the season.
| School | Outgoing coach | Reason | Replacement | Previous position |
| CC of San Francisco | Jimmy Collins | Hired as head coach for Diablo Valley | Eduardo Yagües Nuño | CC of San Francisco offensive line coach (1998–2023) |
| Central Lakes | Greg Medeck | Hired as athletic director by Central Lakes | Toby Thurman | Armijo HS (CA) head coach (2019–2023) |
| Chaffey | Darrin Chiaverini | Hired as head coach by Northeastern State | Ben Buys | La Salle College Prep (CA) head coach (2019–2023) |
| Coffeyville | Jeff Leiker | Resigned | Nick Dobler | Coffeyville defensive coordinator and linebackers coach (2020–2023) |
| College of the Sequoias | Travis Burkett | Resigned | Matt Mendonca | College of the Sequoias defensive coordinator (2022–2023) |
| College of the Siskiyous | Tyler Knudsen | Resigned | Adam Groppi (full-season interim) | Weed HS (CA) head coach (2022–2023) |
| Diablo Valley | Austin Kiraly (full-season interim) | Permanent coach hired | Jimmy Collins | CC of San Francisco head coach (2015–2023) |
| Dodge City | Terry Karg | Resigned | Ryan Lusby | Texas–Permian Basin assistant head coach and offensive coordinator (2023) |
| East Los Angeles | Bobby Godinez | Resigned | Arnie Robles (full-season interim) | East Los Angeles assistant coach (2023) |
| Ellsworth | Kory Vaught | Resigned | Matt White | UVA Wise defensive coordinator (2020–2023) |
| Fullerton | Garrett Campbell | Resigned | Phil Austin / Brian Crooks (co-head coaches) | Fullerton assistant coach (2017–2023) / Fullerton defensive coordinator (2010–2023) |
| Garden City | Tom Minnick | Fired | Kiyoshi Harris | Boise State recruiting coordinator (2022–2023) |
| Hartnell | Matt Collins | Resigned | Ruben Lerma (full-season interim) | Hartnell running backs coach and offensive line coach (2018–2023) |
| Minnesota State C&T | Austin Jones | Resigned | Bernard Holsey | Minnesota State C&T defensive coordinator and defensive line coach (2023) |
| Minnesota West C&T | Conner Kunkel (full-season interim) | Resigned | Jermaine Smith | Campbell defensive analyst (2023) |
| Nassau | Jamel Ramsay | Hired as head coach by Maritime | Jhaleel Oswald | Nassau defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator (2021–2023) |
| New Mexico Military | Kurt Taufa'asau | Hired as head coach by New Mexico Highlands | Oliver Soukup | Eastern New Mexico defensive coordinator (2023) |
| San Bernardino Valley | Daniel Algattas | N/A | Nate Turner | San Marino HS (CA) head coach (2023) |
| Santa Ana | Anthony White | Died | Geoff Jones | Santa Ana co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach (2023) |
| Southwestern (CA) | Dionicio Monarrez Jr. | Resigned | Oscar Rodriguez | Kansas defensive analyst (2022–2023) |
| Vermilion | Earnest Wilson | Resigned | Tyree Johnson | Crookston HS (MN) defensive coordinator (?–2023) |
| West Los Angeles | Steve Ruedaflores | N/A | Eric Scott | San Jose State wide receivers coach (2021–2023) |
| Yuba | Mike Pomfret | Resigned | Tim Mulvehill | Placer HS (CA) assistant coach (?–2023) |